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Greetings from Panama! My name is Marina Ehrman and I have been a professional tour guide and promoter for Panama Tourism and Travel Company since 2005. I love what I do and am proud to share what my country has to offer. It is filled with endless leisure and commercial attractions, friendly happy people who open their doors to all visitors. Panama is a country of incomparable natural beauty with a variety of tourist attractions, beautiful beaches in the Pacific and Caribbean. The tropical climate year round with its diversified flora, fauna and indigenous groups make it one of the most important of Ecotourism in Latin America.
I invite you to know our country’s history, culture and also enjoy the cuisine, folklore and traditions that only a place in the world can provide………Panama!
Contact me and I’ll organize your visit and will be happy to welcome you in Panama. For more information on Panama, follow my Facebook page and my blog. Visit www.panamatourismtravel.com

Peel the plantains, the easiest way to peel a green plantain is to make the lengthwise cut on one of the angles, the cut should be skin deep without touching the actual flesh of the plantain, then use the knife to raise the skin and peel it off.

Cut the plantains into thick slices, you can make straight cuts or slightly diagonal cuts.

Heat the canola oil add the garlic ( optional ) over medium high heat in a frying pan – use enough oil to almost cover the plantain slices – or a deep fryer, temperature should be about 350 F, fry the plantains until they start to get yellow, but not golden.

Remove the plantains and place on paper towels to drain the oil.

Use a wood mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a glass jar or glass) to smash and flatten the plantains, do this gently to keep the slices from breaking, a few cracks is ok as long as the whole slice remains in one piece.

Sprinkle the plantain slices with salt and other seasonings (if using the raw garlic rub it on the slices).

Reheat the oil, temperature should be about 375 F and fry the plantains until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove from the oil, drain again on paper towels, and add additional seasoning if needed.

Panama has its own unique and rich cuisine. As a land bridge between two continents Panama is blessed by nature with an unusual variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking. Also, as a crossroads of the world, Panama’s cuisine is influenced by its diverse population of Hispanic, native Indian, European, African and even Chinese migrations.

BREAKFAST:

Hojaldras: a white flour dough made with baking powder that is deep-fried. It is a traditional breakfast cuisine in Panama.

Tortillas: Another common item. Different from other countries, the tortillas in Panama are thicker and deep fried. Typically items are then placed on top of the tortilla to make a meal. It is common to uses eggs, cheese or anything else tasty to make a good morning meal.

MAIN COURSES

Corvina: A very common fish used in many places/meals throughout Panama. In the US and Canada corvina is known as sea bass. Corvina is a mild tasting fish common in many recipes. Commonly used for ceviche as well.

Sancocho: If you are looking for a typical dish, Sancocho could be it. Found everywhere in Panama Sancocho is a type of chicken soup. Depending on who is cooking it other ingredients in the soup can vary.

Sea Food: Due to its strategic location, Panama has some excellent sea food. Fish is brought in from both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The variety is amazing. It seems that most restaurants offer some type of sea food in Panama.

Tamales: Different from what is found in Mexico, the Panamanian tamale is covered in banana leaf and boiled. The leaf and the boiling create a different flavor that is pretty good. If you like a Mexican tamale, you will like the variation of a tamale that you can find in Panama.

Platano Maduro: This is something you will see as a side on many dishes throughout Panama. A plaintian looks like a banana. It is cut in small slices and then fried. The flavor is sweet and is a nice addition to any meal.

Platanos en tentación is a popular way to prepare them in a carmelized sugar sauce seasoned with some cinnamon and nutmeg.

Carimañola: This is a roll made from a type of tropical yucca. Typically the rolls is stuffed full of eggs and meat.

Ceviche: Ceviche is a very common appetizer found throughout Panama. Typically corvina is chopped up and added to lemon juice and other spices. The acidic content of the lemon actually "cooks" the corvina to create a nice tangy taste. Very popular.

Arroz Con Guandu: Probably the most common side dish seen in Panama. Essentially rice is cooked with beans and other spices to create a great tasting rice dish. You may see this side dish served at any and all meals. There are many variations as to other ingredients that can be added to this Panamanian staple.

DESSERTS

Tropical Fruits: Being in a tropical part of the world, Panama has a wide array of fresh and very flavorfull fresh fruit. Take full advantage of the fruits in Panama. You will find many that you are familiar with and others that are common only to the Central American region like Papayas, mangos, pineapples, melons, maracuyá (passion fruit), guanabana (sour sop).

Flans: Light egg custard in a carmelized sauce imakes this the most popular Panamanian dessert.

Pastel Tres Leches : “Three Milk Cake”- This is a rich cake made from three milks - regular, evaporated and condensed- very sweet and delicious.

Tropical fruit batidos: Similiar to a "smoothie" these shakes are made with Papaya, strawberry and pineapple with milk.

Raspados – Panamanian "snow cones". Perfect to cool off these cones are served everywhere from a friendly vendor with a mobile cart. They are available in a variety of flavours.